You may be an amateur hunter or a youngster who is just starting out with the sport of hunting. Choosing the best rifle for deer hunting may be a bit difficult task, as it is the most important part of your hunting gear. You can walk into the sporting goods store and get bewildered with the choice of rifles that you may be offered. If money is not a constraint, then go ahead and splurge on the best rifles offered in the market.
There are many rifles for hunting, that you can choose for different types of games. In case of a big game like deer, you may like to choose bolt-action, lever-action, pump-action or semi-automatic rifles. You also have a wide choice of different caliber rifles that will confuse you even more. So it is not an easy job to choose the best rifle for deer hunting. Let us go into the details of choosing best rifle for deer hunting.
How to Choose the Best Rifle for Deer Hunting?
You need to choose the best rifle for deer hunting, based on the type of game your are hunting. If your game is hidden behind a thick bush, you need a faster loading gun. This gun is useful for operating in tight spaces quickly. As your visibility is limited, you just need a rifle that you can point and shoot. You can choose a semiautomatic or pump action gun for such a game. The Remington semi-automatic chambered 30-06 is one of the best rifles for deer hunting. You can easy find semi-automatic and pump-action rifles in many calibers which can give you quick follow-up shots. But they have a complicated mechanism and you may face many mechanical problems.
If you are using a bolt-action rifle while crouching behind a bush, it will become a very complicated procedure. Even a slight movement will spook the deer and you will not be able to get a clear shot. In case of long distances, the bolt-action rifle will give you the control needed, but it will be difficult to operate in small spaces. The bolt-action rifle is available in a wide range of prices and calibers. It is known for its accuracy and has proven very handy for deer hunting. But it has a cycle time between shots and shooting becomes difficult, if you do not get left hand models for left handed hunters.
The next best rifle for deer hunting is the lever-action rifle. Many hunters have used the .30-30 Winchester for deer harvesting, but the tubular magazine has its limits in the caliber section. It is not a very expensive rifle for deer hunting and therefore affordable for many. It is prone to mechanical problems and has limited caliber selection around nose cartilages.
You can choose the single shot rifle as one of the best rifles for deer hunting. It is the most reliable and sturdy rifle for deer hunting. It has no problems with its mechanism and you can choose from a wide range of calibers. It is a good single shot rifle and has interchangeable barrels. On the other side, it is not as widely available as the other and has no follow-up shot without reloading.
Names of Best Rifles For Deer Hunting
The following are some of the popular deer hunting rifles according to the type of ground you choose to hunt. In case of deep woods, you may choose wood rifles like .30-30 rifles and .32 Win. Special, which are popular rifles for deer hunting. The other guns like .35 Remington, .356 Winchester, .44 Magnum and .444 Marlin are specialized brush cartilages, but not very popular among game hunters. You may come across many young and inexperienced hunters using 7mm and .300 Magnum combination elk deer rifles for their sport. The non-magnum calibers and short carbine length rifles with barrel lengths running 18 to 22 inches long are popular for hunting under heavy cover.
If you are deer hunting in an open country, you may like to use a rifle chambered for a flat shooting cartilage with a medium to high variable power scope. Ruger or Browning single shot rifles also work quite fine. The long-range rifles like .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, .243 WSSM, .240 Wby. Magnum, .25 WSSM, .257 Roberts +P, .25-06 Remington, .257 Wby. Magnum, 6.5×55, .260 Remington, 6.5mm Rem. Magnum, .270 Winchester, .280 Remington, and 7mm-08 Remington are very common rifles for deer hunting. When you are shooting 150 grain bullets, the .30-06 Springfield and .308 Winchester are good options.
You can also use combination rifles, as they can be useful for hunting other games as well. You can try combination deer, antelope and varmint guns that are single shot rifles or bolt-action rifles. Single shot Ruger No.1B Standard Rifle in combination with .243 Winchester or .6mm Remington is also a good option. The .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, .25 WSSM, .257 Roberts and .250 Savage have good cartilages for a combination of deer, antelope and varmint rifles.
It is very important to choose the best rifle for deer hunting, as your entire game depends on the rifle you use. You may recommend different rifles depending on their pros and cons, but choose a rifle that is best for a starter. You can read more information on deer hunting: tips on hunting rifles. You should be comfortable using your rifle to enjoy the hunting season. When it comes to choosing the best rifle for deer hunting, personal choice should be favored more, as you are the one who is going to take the shot.
